Biden Says He Made the Clemency Decisions That Were Recorded With Autopen … Toward the end of his term as president, Joseph R. Biden Jr. reduced the sentences of nearly 4,000 federal convicts and pre-emptively pardoned dozens of politically prominent people he saw as potential targets …

Trump to announce “aggressive” Ukraine weapons plan  —  President Trump will announce a new plan to arm Ukraine on Monday that is expected to include offensive weapons, two sources with knowledge of the plans tell Axios. … - U.S., Ukrainian and European officials hope the weapons will shift …

The Young GOPer Behind “Alligator Alcatraz” Is the Dark Future of MAGA  —  The other day, Stephen Miller went on Fox News and offered a plea that got surprisingly little attention given its highly toxic and unnerving implications.  Miller urged politicians in GOP-run states to build their own versions of …

Two-thirds of the DOJ unit defending Trump policies in court have quit  —  The U.S. Justice Department unit charged with defending against legal challenges to signature Trump administration policies - such as restricting birthright citizenship and slashing funding to Harvard University …

3 ways Trump might try to defuse the Epstein mess  —  President Trump isn't ready to course-correct over how his administration has handled the Jeffrey Epstein evidence.  — But officials and advisers are considering at least three ways Trump could try to defuse an issue that …

EU warns Trump's 30% tariffs would eliminate transatlantic trade  —  Bloc's trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič issues caution as ministers meet to consider retaliatory measures against US  —  Trade between the EU and US will be “almost impossible” …

Why Gov. Greg Abbott Won't Release His Emails With Elon Musk  —  We asked Abbott for his and his staff's emails with Elon Musk and Musk's companies.  The governor's office won't turn them over, saying some contain “intimate and embarrassing” information that is “not of legitimate concern to the public.”

Governors Should Be the Face of the Democratic Party  —  Laura Kelly, the Democratic governor of Kansas, jump-started a recent Tuesday afternoon with a crash course in heavy-duty tires — for tractors, for semis, for Humvees, tires that top six feet and weigh 13,000 pounds.

Bondi Fires Her Personal Ethics Chief as DOJ Purge Continues  —  Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired her personal ethics adviser, removing the Justice Department's top official responsible for counseling the most senior political appointees, according to two people familiar with the move.

Unfit to Serve: Jeanine Pirro Made Excuses for Jan. 6th  —  Senators weighing her nomination for U.S. attorney should revisit her remarks denigrating prosecutors and calling defendants “hostages.”  —  SEN. THOM TILLIS OF NORTH CAROLINA, a Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee …

Gov. Hobbs demands inquiry into federal response that led to Grand Canyon Lodge fire  — The Dragon Bravo Fire, sparked by lightning on July 4th, destroyed structures on the Grand Canyon's North Rim, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.  — Gov. Katie Hobbs questioned …

Obama's blunt message for Democrats: ‘Toughen up’  —  Former President Barack Obama issued a call to action for Democrats at a private fundraiser in New Jersey on Friday evening, urging those frustrated by the state of the country under President Donald Trump to “stand up for the things that you think are right.”

MAGA media's conspiracy theories put Trump in power — and now they're coming back to bite him  —  The conspiracy-soaked culture that propelled President Donald Trump to political power is now coming for him.  —  Some of the most influential voices in right-wing media are rejecting Trump's call …

Texas just gutted free speech on college campuses.  Is your state next?  —  New laws in the Lone Star State will silence dissent and undermine faculty authority.  —  Laura Benitez is state policy manager and Jonathan Friedman is Sy Syms managing director for PEN America's U.S. free expression programs.

Public Broadcasters Brace for Vote on Sharp Funding Cut  —  At the urging of President Trump, Congress is expected to vote this week on whether to cut $500 million per year for public radio and TV stations.  —  Julie Overgaard, the executive director of South Dakota's biggest public broadcaster …

Tigers players aren't worried about deportation but union suggests they carry documents  — The MLBPA advises players to carry documentation and offers support regarding immigration issues.  — Even high-profile athletes are not immune to immigration issues, as demonstrated by recent cases.

Under Trump, the government mobilizes in response to fringe theories  —  Trump officials have assigned government workers and spent taxpayer dollars to address conspiracy theories and easily-disproven assertions  —  After President Donald Trump wrongly suggested that Social Security funds …

House Democrat floats radical solution to Congress' age problem  —  Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is proposing something unprecedented: Having Congress' ethics office effectively adjudicate whether lawmakers are too cognitively impaired to do their jobs.

Boys & Girls Club programs threatened by Trump grant freeze serve thousands of families  —  After driving through a downpour to take her son to day camp, Darleen Reyes told camp administrators the rain would have kept her away but her son insisted on going.  As she marked her son's name present …

Elmo's X account gets hacked, posts antisemitic messages on social media  —  The official X account of the Sesame Street character, Elmo, was allegedly hacked on Sunday.  —  Several hate-filled posts with slurs and antisemitic messages were posted by the X account of the beloved Sesame Street puppet.

How China's Military Is Flexing Its Power in the Pacific  —  The U.S. sounds the alarm and calls on allies to do more as Beijing's forces venture further from its shores  —  HONG KONG—China's military is extending its reach deeper into the Pacific, sending ships and aircraft into new territory …